


Anew

by alafaye



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 04:22:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2837819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alafaye/pseuds/alafaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus and Remus find themselves paired off. Unwillingly and willingly, respectively.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anew

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2014 advent challenge; masterlist and prompts can be found [here](http://alafaye.livejournal.com/392757.html). This is day 23, holiday smells.

It was the smell that drew him in. Cinnamon and nutmeg, holly and pumpkin, pine and maple. It smelled like the potion that his mum had brewed when he was young, something special for Christmas. It was for their tree and not only did it make their house smell like Christmas, it helped the tree stay green until Boxing Day. Severus had tried to replicate the recipe--it had been lost when he had been at Hogwarts, likely destroyed by his father--but to no avail. And the smell had stayed locked away in his memories, one of the few from his childhood.

The smell, though, was coming from a coffee shop that had opened across from his shop. It snuck in whenever the door opened, never getting far past the smells of the potions and the supplies, but it was enough to make Severus look over.

He almost wanted to go and find out what was causing that smell, but for one, he didn't socialize with the other business owners. For another, it could be a trick, a spell, to entice customers inside to buy overpriced coffee and terrible pastries. And last...he was afraid.

He was a world renowned Potions Master and he had spent his entire adult life trying and failing to recreate a potion. What if that smell was the potion that his mother had brewed?

"Just go over and get it over with," Draco hissed at him a week after the smell had begun drifting in.

Severus raised an eyebrow and noticed a customer--a former student--tense up. Inwardly, he smirked. "Mr. Malfoy, I don't have the slightest clue what you are talking about."

Draco gave his customer her change and with a sigh, turned to Severus. "Go to the coffee shop. Get a coffee. Get over whatever issue you have with it, the store, or its owner."

"You know the owner?" Severus asked, caught off guard. If anyone was more reclusive than himself, it was his apprentice.

"I thought you knew," Draco replied innocently. "It's Lupin."

Severus narrowed his eyes. "He opened a shop? But he's a werewolf."

"Those restrictions were lifted by Granger," Draco reminded him.

"And he has his son to care for," Severus continued as if he hadn't heard.

"Aunt Andromeda watches him during the day," Draco explained. "And Potter helps out. When he isn't working over there, of course."

Severus frowned. "How fitting. The Slytherins on one side, the Gryffindors on the other."

"Whatever," Draco shrugged. "Go over there and satisfy your curiosity. Or I'll put a hex on our door so you can't get in until you do."

"You couldn't do that," Severus argued.

Draco raised an eyebrow of his own. "Harry's really clever with spell craft. He's been teaching me a few things. Shall we find out if I can put that hex up or will you just go over there?"

"Harry, is it?" Severus deflected. "It was Potter a moment ago."

Blushing, Draco glared. "Severus."

Severus sighed and looked out the window at the coffee shop.

~~~

The smell was everywhere inside, but Severus' keen potion trained nose could tell it was coming from the trees set up in the two corners of the seating area. Blast. He glared at them, willing them to give up their secrets.

"It's brilliant," Marcus Flint piped up from the table by Severus. What was with his students and being everywhere today? Even Potter, damn him, was behind the register. Such similarities, he thought with a glare in that direction. It was as if Severus' life had suddenly become a joke. "The trees, sir, that is. They've been green all month. Wish I knew how. Pansy's complaining that our tree is turning brown already."

Flint shut up when Severus glared at him. 

"Professor!" Potter called, waving him over to the register.

Severus didn't want to look like an idiot who had only come in and looked around so he walked over, intending to order a coffee. Instead, Potter winked at him and left, Remus taking his place.

"Sorry about that," Remus said with a smile. "It's Harry's break. How can I help you, Severus?"

Severus stiffened his spine. "Coffee. Black, two sugars."

"Black as the night and sweet as the devil," Remus muttered, writing out the order on a cup. He tossed it over to a kid behind the glass pastry case. "Anything else?"

"Just the coffee."

Remus nodded. "Two sickles, then." When Severus handed over the two coins, Remus licked his lips. "I heard you own the shop across the street?"

Severus raised his eyebrows. "Remarkable. You've heard the gossip that's been going around since it opened."

"Do you have to be such a...I was trying to make small talk, you know," Remus huffed.

Small talk? With Severus? He sighed. "Yes, I do own the shop. It's good business, ever since Slug and Jiggers closed. And we have the best ingredients."

Remus smiled. "Do you still make potions then? I should've asked you--but Draco wanted to make sure it worked first. The potion, ah, for the trees here. What do you think?"

Draco knew about the potion? Severus was beginning to smell a conspiracy. "Tell me, Remus. Are you aware that our two apprentices are conspiring together?"

Remus narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Draco discovered, by accident, that I have been trying to recreate that very potion," Severus explained. "It was something my mother brewed and I never had the recipe. I believe my father destroyed it. I could never discover how she did it."

Remus frowned. "Harry found it in the Black House. The recipe, I mean, but it was in a tucked away corner of the kitchen. Might be a family thing."

"Either way, Potter and Draco had to have something planned," Severus grit out.

"Right, yes," Remus said, pulling himself together. He handed Severus his cup of coffee. "I suspect it's a romance thing. Harry mentioned the other day that it's time for me to date again."

"I don't date," Severus growled.

"A lone wolf?" Remus grinned at his own pun. Severus glared. Remus lost the grin and cleared his throat. "Why not, though? Humans like close relationships."

Severus, unfortunately, didn't have an answer. He clutched his coffee cup. "I'm going. Thank you for the coffee. I'll ask Draco for the recipe."

He ignored Remus calling for him as he left. He had an apprentice to question and then punish.

~~~

Said questioning only lead Severus here, to Andromeda's home on Christmas Eve.

"It's for Teddy," Draco was explaining as they walked up the drive. "Harry and I are going to the Burrow tomorrow, but tonight, we're going Christmas with Teddy and Andromeda." Draco shrugged. "Already dividing ourselves between families. Still, it's worth it. I mean, Harry and I haven't been dating long and--"

"What makes you think I actually care about your love life?" Severus interrupted.

Draco was silent for a moment. "You helped raise me, Severus. There are few memories I have of my childhood that you aren't in. You are...I've always thought of you like a father. I guess, well, I thought you felt the same. That I was like a son to you."

"You want me to _approve_ of you dating Harry Potter?" Severus interrupted. "Is that it?"

Draco ducked his head. "I know I don't need anyone's approval, but I had hoped you could at least, I dunno. I just...forget it."

Severus had stopped, but Draco continued on. It was true that Severus had been there for most of Draco's life. It hadn't been something planned or talked about. It had just happened. He had brewed some of the potions that Draco had needed--Pepper Up, bruise salves--and been there for birthdays and achievements and all the other little details. 

A father, him? In a way, he supposed he was. And in that way, he was the only parent that Draco had left. Lucius had died in Azkaban and Narcissa had developed an aggressive form of cancer not long after. Further, it left Draco as the only family that Severus had. Well, he thought as he looked up at the house, it didn't have to be as Draco had extended the invitation to join the celebrations here, with a family made up of distant relations.

"Draco," he called, looking down. "I...have only just realized that I was that important in your life. I never thought twice about being there for you, only that it felt right. Lucius was a very close friend and though it was odd at first, I accepted in the end his wish to be part of his family. But I never thought of myself as any sort of parent to you."

"But you were," Draco pointed out.

"Yes, you said," Severus said. "I never liked Potter in school, but if he's important to you, perhaps you should invite him for dinner sometime? So I can properly get to know him, especially since my s-son wishes to marry him."

Draco blushed furiously. "Who said anything about marrying him?"

Severus smirked. "You're already planning out where to spend your holidays."

Draco toed the ground. "Well, maybe I do want to marry him."

"Then dinner," Severus said with finality. "Now, we shouldn't keep the others waiting, should we?"

Draco smiled. As they walked up the steps, he added in, "You know, Remus has mentioned that he'd like to be friends with you."

"And I told you that I am wise to your matchmaking and it won't work."

"We'll see. Harry found Remus' diary from school. It was tricky, but Bill Weasley taught Harry a spell that broke the lock on the diary."

Severus rang the doorbell. "Enough."

Draco cackled. "So you don't want to find out if he's gotten any better at giving head? At all?"

Severus smacked the back of his head.

~~~

"I can't believe you left your diary lying around!" Severus hissed at Remus when he finally got the man cornered. Andromeda had gone to the kitchen to get some coffee while Harry and Draco were putting Teddy down for the night.

Remus blushed. "I didn't! Harry was snooping."

Severus snorted. "And now they're planning our wedding nuptials."

"After their own," Remus added. 

"A Potter and Malfoy wedding," Severus grumbled. "Who'd have thought? All during their school days."

"Sexual tension?" Remus suggested, but it was weak.

Severus sighed. "I suspect that we ought to talk about this? There are plenty of good reasons why we can't rekindle our...boyhood foolishness."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Foolishness? I recall you mentioning that one day we would marry in the Muggle world where there were no werewolf restrictions and we'd adopt a few children. You were the romantic in our relationship, Severus, not I."

"You said yes," Severus reminded him. It still hurt, all these years later.

"You left to be a Death Eater," Remus pointed out, hurt colouring his words.

Severus looked down. Remus sighed. "I'm sorry, Severus. That was...it was a difficult time. For all of us."

"It's better that it remains in the past."

"I've never forgotten, you know. I always hoped that we could...apologize and move on."

"But no hope for more than friendship?"

Remus blushed. "I suppose I could admit that I never stopped loving you, Severus. At this point, I doubt I'll ever stop."

"You married Nymphadora."

"A person can love more than one."

Severus took a deep breath. "Tell me, Remus. Just tell me exactly what it is you want. From me."

"What I want? To give me, give us, a chance. A new one."

"If it ends badly, our family will be divided."

Remus tilted his chin up. "It's worth the risk."

Severus licked his lips. "The wedding would be awful."

Remus shrugged. "Worth it."

Severus swallowed hard. Remus took a deep breath and kissed Severus. Not hard, not passionately, but it was full of emotion and it brought forth all of the emotions that Severus had spent his life running from.

"I hate you," Severus whispered against Remus' lips.

Remus slowly grinned. "You don't. No man who hates another would kiss him like that."

Severus sighed and closed his eyes. "I reserve the right to say I told you so when it all falls apart."

"If it falls apart, Severus," Remus whispered. "If it falls apart." He kissed Severus again.

~~~

_Epilogue_

The applause was polite and accompanied by wolf whistles as Harry dipped Draco. Severus shook his head. "Fools."

Remus smirked. "Fools in love." His hand slipped into Severus' again as the happy couple walked down the isle, hand in hand.

"They'll want us to be married next," Severus reminded him.

Draco winked at them as he passed. Remus sighed. "I found the booklet from their wedding planner in my office this morning."

Severus groaned. "Wonderful. I am no longer the type of man who marries. I told you that."

"We'll see, Severus. We'll see."


End file.
